Swan Song
by Vicktur
Summary: "Did you know? Swans can die of a heartbreak." Based on Helena's black ballerina concept.


**Swan Song**

**.1.**

It was a cold, brisk morning. Winter was finally over and the flowers started to bloom with the arrival of the flower season. The weather still clung to December and the morning air was nose piercing.

Leon sat on the edge of his bed, inhaled deeply in the frosty air and exhaled with a smile on his lips. He loved mornings. It was the only part of the day he had to himself. Just him, no royal business, no dealing with his royal pain in the ass advisors, and best of all, no rejecting poor princesses. After all, Leon was of royalty and controlled one of the most powerful kingdoms in his country. He was, nonetheless, very handsome and charming; it was of no surprise he held a reputation of breaking many, many hearts. Both princesses and queens of all nature lined up on his floor with beautifully painted faces. Their angelic and mesmerizing presence never worked on him. They were beautiful but never won his heart.

Leon got off his bed and grabbed the black pairs of pants on a nearby chair, the same pair he wore yesterday. The maids would scold him for wearing the same pair of pants, but he would deal with that later.

Leon stretched his arms out to the ceiling with a grunt, his joints cracking as he did. With a sharp exhale, he glanced lazily at the sky. The bright sun caught his eyes. Leon's eyes widened when he realized he had wasted too much time. If the sun was out, it meant that his maids would be out of bed and on their way to ready him up for breakfast. He never understood why they insisted on helping him dress. He was a full grown man, he didn't need any help dressing himself.

A series of footsteps caught his ears. They were up earlier than he expected. Leon grabbed a gold trimmed, dark blue coat off the rack and jumped out of his window, just as the maids entered in with a singsong voice, "Good morning, my Lord!" Their voices dropped when they realized that their lord was not in bed and certainly not hiding in the room like he had done last time. "My Lord?" they called out worriedly.

Leon suppressed a chuckle watching the maids' faces turn ghastly. One of them caught his gaze and her mouth dropped open. She shook her finger at him, letting out an incoherent stutter to the confusion of the other maids. The maids followed her finger and their mouths dropped open just as big as hers. Leon gave them a wink and jumped off the ledge, the screams of the horrified maids mixing in with his laughter.

Leon swung himself around the flagpole that was near his window and got himself to the ground, safely. He had done it so many times, he probably could have done it with his eyes closed. He still had the scars from when he first attempted it. Oh how his mother scolded him with tears in her eyes.

Leon's eyes narrowed at the thought of his mother. His father as well, they both brought painful memories. He quickly ushered them away. It was still early and he had time for a quick hunt before returning to his duties. A good hunt always refreshed his mind and prepared him for the long, grueling day ahead of him.

"My Lord!" a maid shouted from a window nearby.

It was time to go. Leon hurried to the stables where his faithful stable boy was waiting for him with a brown horse readied. The boy gave Leon a toothy smile as he led the horse to him. "Good day, sire! Running from frog lips again?"

Leon chuckled as he hopped on the horse and took the reins. "Don't let Marylene catch you calling her that, Charlie."

"Aye, sir! Have a good hunt!" Charlie saluted and Leon took off, returning a salute of his own. The horse let out a loud neigh as they bolted past the gates. A group of maids, led by a plump maid carrying fine threads, ran out of the gates, shouting after their King who soon disappeared into the thick forest.

"Oh, that man!" the thick maid voiced frustratingly. She flung the clothes over her shoulders and placed her hands on her waist. "When will he stop this?! He has a kingdom to lead!"

"Ah, don't get yer bloomers in a knot, frog lips!" Charlie stuck his tongue out.

The maid dropped her mouth open. "How dare you, you spiteful little brat! My name is Marylene and you know it!"

Charlie blew his cheeks out and gave her the biggest raspberry he could give and then took off, laughing.

Marylene shook her head and sighed with disdain. "It is always the job of the women to keep things afoot around here while the men go play with sticks!" The other maids nodded in agreement and they retreated back into the walls.

Leon raced through the forest. The winds were behind him and he felt the joy of riding early through the beautiful forest. The trees were thick and green, they were slowly restoring the color they lost; so, many of the trees wore bright green colors. The smell of greenery was refreshing and crisp; it rejuvenated him and he inhaled on it like he was addicted. Leon felt the quiver of arrows tied on the saddle. The bow sat on the back of the saddle and it swung around as the horse galloped.

When he reached a clearing, Leon hopped off the horse and gave her a loving pat. The horse nudged him as Leon took the quiver. Leon smirked and nudged the horse back playfully. The horse slapped his face with her tail when Leon went to get the bow. Leon sighed and chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You don't like it when I hunt. But come on, Reilly." Leon got the bow off the saddle and hung it around his shoulder. "You know I need this outlet."

The horse tried to slap him again with her tail but Leon dodged it just in time. He gave her a smirk and pointed to the ground, "I'll be back, stay here."

Leon pushed through the bushes and gazed around the scene. There were a few birds singing here and there but other than that, the forest was quiet; and Leon loved it. Inside his castle, there was never a moment of silence. Everyone was busy, there was chatter thick in the air, and his guards roaming around the halls in their thick, plated attire clanking as they go...he hated it.

Leon stepped on a branch and frowned at how loud the noise was. He surely must have scared off whatever prey that was near him. Leon crouched down as soon as his eyes spotted a deer at least a few yards away from him. It was already on high alert, the deer had its ears perked up and its eyes darted around the area. It must have heard the branch break. That was the terrible part of the silent forest. It tended to inflate even the slightest noise; bad for the hunters and good for the hunted.

Leon cautiously made his way closer to the deer. There were trees in his way and he wanted a clear shot. Deer were agile creatures and they knew their way around the forest better than he did. If he missed, he wouldn't have the time to stalk another prey. And he hated nothing more than to bring back nothing from the hunt. It wasn't part of his nature to kill innocent animals, especially when he and his people had plenty to eat. But it helped him cope with the burden of running a kingdom, even if it was somewhat, sadistic and just, downright cruel.

Leon pulled out an arrow as soon as he found the perfect spot. He pulled back on his bow and aimed at the unsuspecting deer who went back to feeding. The sounds of the forest fell deaf on his ears. He was solely concentrated on his target and nothing else mattered to him. He shut out all other noises and focused on his aim. He had one chance. He pulled back a bit more, adjusted his aim a little, and-

_Twing_!

The arrow hit the tree above the deer. The deer darted its head up and quickly departed between the bushes. Leon watched silently as a fawn quickly followed after. He exhaled sharply and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He relaxed his grip and stood upright. He could go after the deer and have his kill of the day like he intended. Leon looked away from the bushes where the deer and its fawn disappeared.

Leon swung the bow back on his shoulder and started to walk back to his horse. He was due for a scolding from Marylene and the other maids, again.

Rielly's ears perked when Leon returned to her. From the glum look of his face, Rielly knew that he didn't get his kill. Leon held her reigns and led her back towards the castle, silently. Rielly nudged Leon, who smiled and patted her nose. "It's all right, Rielly. Let's just head back before Marylene sends half my army to find me again."

Leon looked towards the sky and saw a faint sight of his flags, waving in the air. "You ran far today, Rielly. Looks like I'm gonna miss breakfast because of you." Rielly snorted in reply.

They had walked for a while until Leon felt his thirst grow. Rielly was thirsty too as she nudged her head against Leon repeatedly to find her water. Luckily, Leon spotted a small lake nearby and led Rielly to it. They both drank out of the water greedily, watering their dry throats. Leon wiped his mouth and sighed with satisfaction.

Then he saw it.

At first he thought he had seen an angel. An angel with black wings. But then he realized it wasn't a human. It was a black swan.

Leon watched it with awe and silence as the black winged beauty fluttered around the lake. He watched as it dipped its head into the lake and shook its feathers. The swan repeated this twice before realizing that it was being watched. Leon was taken by surprise when the swan, to his vision, glared at him. In a gust of wind, a hoard of snowy, white swans appeared and landed around the black swan. Their powdery white bodies hid the black swan from Leon's sight to his dismay. The black swan was beautiful. He had never seen anything like it before. Something about the black bird just enticed him so much.

Leon suddenly heard a familiar sound of clanks. He could recognize the shining silver armor and the navy cloaks anywhere. It was his footmen, probably sent by Marylene to find him again. He inwardly chuckled. Marylene was practically his second mother by the way she worried over him. To think a head maid would have so much power in her scolding, she can get an army to do whatever she wanted.

Leon quickly glanced back at the swans who weren't disturbed by the soldiers yet. He quickly hurried to his men and clamped his mouth on his captain who was just about to greet him. "Sir-!"

"Good to see you as well, captain, now don't say a word once I let go of your mouth, all right?" The captain nodded and Leon released him.

"Sir, Lady Marylene requested me to find you. You are late for breakfast," the captain said in a hushed tone.

"Breakfast can wait. Now, look over there." Leon pointed to the gathering of swans.

"Birds?"

"Swans, my captain," Leon corrected. "And in the middle is a very special swan." Leon gave his captain a smile.

The captain squinted at the swans. "Which one is the special one, my Lord?"

One of the white swans flew up, revealing a black swan in the middle. The captain gasped along with the rest of the men. "A black swan! I've never seen a black one before!"

"Neither have I. It has to be a sign of good luck." Leon grinned as he rubbed his chin. "We should take it back to the castle."

The captain gave him a baffled look. "Since when are black animals considered good luck, my Lord? Black cats are feared by humans for their ties to witches! Ravens and crows bring death upon houses! What if black swans are omens as well? We should just leave it here."

"Omen or not." Leon gazed at the black swan. "It's beautiful."

The captain looked at the swan once more before returning to his King. "Not to intrude, sire but..." The men looked at each other nervously. Leon glanced at them. "Lady Marylene threat-assured us that we will be eating gruel into our old days if we don't bring you back soon."

Leon chuckled. "All right. Let's head back." He motioned to Rielly who stood behind him all this time. Leon took one last glance at the black swan and walked back to his kingdom with his knights.

* * *

Leon rubbed his eyes and yawned when Marylene suddenly brought in four women into his study room. "What is this, Marylene?" he asked groggily. The three women were dressed well, too well. They had expensive ornaments from their hair to their shoes. Pricy fabric dressed them and doll-like faces stared at him.

God help him. They were princesses.

Leon abruptly stood up, changing his tired demeanor immediately. He was a King, he couldn't address princesses from other kingdoms in such a rude way. Leon gave a stern stare to Marylene. "Marylene, you shouldn't have brought these ladies here in my study room. They should be presented in the throne room with my subjects and with proper introduction."

Marylene wore a helpless face. "They insisted that they see you right away." She shot them a glare. "I couldn't get them to budge, my Lord."

Before Leon could reply, a princess with platinum blonde hair took a step forward. She smiled radiantly and bowed graciously. "Please forgive me, my Lord. It was I who insisted a greet right away." She ducked her head to the side in embarrassment.

Leon smiled. "Please, rise princess."

The princess rose and placed both her hands to the side. As soon as her eyes met with Leon's, she quickly shied away. "I'm sorry for being so childish, my Lord. It's just that..." She looked back at the other princesses who giggled. She smiled and looked at the ground. "You're...much more handsome than the rumors say."

Leon chuckled, a faint blush crossed his features. He rubbed his chin and felt a stubble. "I haven't groomed in a while, princess. I don't think my appearance is presentable at this moment."

"No, no!" The other princesses chimed behind the blonde princess. As soon as they realized what they said, they quickly covered their faces in embarrassment and giggled. The blonde princess smiled. "Forgive them, my Lord. They are my younger sisters. They're here to accompany me."

Marylene cleared her throat, making Leon turn his attention to her. Marylene nudged her head to the blonde princess, whose back was turned on her. Leon understood what Marylene was trying to tell him and clasped his hands. "Would you like to join me for dinner?"

* * *

Leon gulped down the wine from his glass in one go. The blonde princess, what was her name-Alicia. Leon shuddered. She was a sweet girl. He was charmed by her lovely personality until she revealed her fondness for practicing medical experiments. He admired people in the medical field; with all the ferocious cannibals attacking nearby towns, they were needed more than armed units. But unlike the other medicine men and women, Alicia wanted to experiment on the living. In such vivid detail she spoke of her desires of wanting to split a pregnant woman in half to see how the baby grew; and how she wanted to put the unborn children in jars to preserve them. Leon worked all his strength to force his food down. It wasn't helping they were having steak, which happened to be his favorite. Talking about dissecting a human while eating a medium rare steak was an impossible thing to do.

Leon sat down on the bench of his mother's garden. He put the wine glass on the ground and let out an exasperated sigh. He tugged on his ribbon that held his collar up and undid them with a lazy tug.

This was the 14th? 15th? 19th? Possibly the 19th princess that looked normal on the front and had a crazy personality. He remembered Lilith, the psychotic princess who was gorgeous on the outside but had a personality that was fit for the devil's woman. The sacrifices she demanded for her arrival still sent shivers to his bones.

He remembered Hera, whose beauty was comparable to a goddess, but her wrath was not to be overlooked. She was a infamous queen amongst many princes and kings. Leon smirked. Hera was cuter when she was angry though.

Then there was Diana who was a warrior princess. He almost married her, if not for her 'test of love' which killed more princes and kings than the cannibals did in a year. It was absurd he had to fight her in hand to hand combat to marry her. She wasn't worth his life, damn it.

And how can he forget Bonnibel. He was certain he finally found the right woman for him. She was smart, strong, and exceedingly beautiful with a personality to match it. But she had a secret lover hidden from everyone, who happened to be her Champion, who also happened to be another female. When he caught them in the act, he was more pleasantly surprised than disgusted.

Leon groaned. It was either the princess had a freaky side or they were just using him as a cover or they wanted to throw him into a death match. Though he'll never admit out loud, he was fine with being single. But he needed an heir, his people believed that their King will never be happy unless he married, and Marylene. Marylene scolded him for hours when he turned Alicia away. How she told him, _"You'll never have a wife if you're picky!"_

Leon looked up and stared into the starry night skies. Was it so much to ask for a woman that he could love, fight for, and lie with...without having to sacrifice a part of his sanity?

Leon picked up his wine glass and was about to take a swig at it when he noticed that he had finished it already. He sighed and retreated back into his room to get a refill. It was a long walk from the garden to his room. He regretted silently not bringing the wine bottle with him. But he didn't want his people to think that he was a drunk. Leon stopped in his tracks when he heard a soft whisper. He spun around in his tracks and glanced through the bushes and flowers.

"Who's there?" he called out.

A maid fell on her face clumsily a couple feet away from him. She quickly picked herself up, only to be pushed aside by another maid. The other maid shot a glare at the fallen maid who gave her a goofy grin. Another maid appeared behind them, carrying a tray and,_ Thank the gods_, Leon thought; a wine bottle. She noticed Leon and quickly hurried to him.

"My Lord! Lady Marylene requested us to bring you some food! She was worried you didn't eat much during dinner..." the maid trailed off and quickly placed the tray on a empty plant stand. She quickly bowed and headed on her way, with the two other maids quickly following her heels.

Leon walked over to the stand and picked up the wine. He poured himself a hefty amount. His nose caught a pleasant scent from the cloche. He picked up the silver dish cover and uncovered a generous amount of mashed potatoes, chicken, and small wheat loaves with a slice of berry pie on the side. "Thank you, Marylene." Leon grinned.

Leon wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He swallowed the last bit of the pie and sighed with content. He finished his meal with a last sip of the wine. He stretched his arms and let out a deep exhale. It was a cool night and surprisingly quiet. His mother's garden would have caretakers day and night but tonight, he was alone and he was glad for it.

He sat by himself amongst the beautiful flowers and plants. The garden was a masterpiece. He remembered how much pride his mother took upon her garden. She would take him here every night and read him a story amongst the fireflies. Summer nights in the garden was better than journeying to a exotic getaway. His father would join them every now and then, if duty wasn't calling, and they would spend the nights as a family, laughing and having a good time.

Homesickness caught up to him and Leon pushed the memories away. He still remembered the day his parents disappeared...or died as people liked to say. They were on their way to settle a dispute between their old enemies. Leon had sent a scout to find them when they failed to return in time. All the scout brought was his mother's and father's rings.

Leon knew they weren't killed for money. The King and Queen's rings is considered to be the greatest treasure in the entire kingdom yet that was left behind. The guards that went with his parents were also missing, including the horses and the carriage. Whatever happened to them, Leon had to leave it in the hands of the gods. He didn't believe in magic or witchcraft. There was no such thing.

A heavy pang struck through his heart. He missed his family. Whatever happened to them...he couldn't let it go. There was so many moments when he wanted to drop everything and go on a search for them. But where would he start? He had visited the place where the rings were found many, many times and came up with nothing. He always felt guilty when he enjoyed his life while his parents were stuck in some place, rotting.

Leon was snapped from his thoughts when he heard a flutter of wings above him. He looked into the sky and saw a large black bird soar. It limped in the air and Leon saw that it had an arrow struck on its wings. Leon's eyes widened when he realized that it was the black swan he saw earlier.

Leon jumped to his feet as the black swan collapsed into the garden's artificial lake. He hurried over to the lake and stopped cold at the sight.

It was a woman.

* * *

**AN:**

What the fuck, my overview was written better than this chapter. I will be going back to polish up chapters every now and then for this story. I lost my motivation, just like my Harperwong story so I feel like I've been sloppy with the writing. I just might take back everything I said in Armadillo Fever: about starting on this and 'Kill Your Lover'; and just start on something completely new till I get my mojo back for this story.

It's still going to be Heleon, of course. It's not going to be part II of Armadillo Fever though. I still have no idea what I'm going with in that story, goddamn it.


End file.
